flight test challenge sheet - pbs kids...• tell kids to make the materials into airplanes: –...

YOUR CHALLENGEDesign an airplane,

using paper and a spoon,

that reduces

drag and flies fast!

FLIGHT TEST

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CHALLENGE SHEET

MATERIALS ■ thread that is smooth—about 20

feet (6 meters) long

■ 1 metal spoon with hangers

■ 2 paper clips

■ 3–5 sheets of scrap paper to make the airplanes

■ masking tape or clear tape (can be shared)

■ scissors (can be shared)

(For testing)■ stopwatch, clock, or timing app

on a phone

■ pencil and paper for recording times

10–40 minutes / All Ages

Force of engines pull

airplane forward

define the NEEdAerospace engineers all over the world are working on building better, faster airplanes that use less fuel. One way to make airplanes more efficient is to reduce their “drag” in the air. Drag is the force of wind resistance against the airplane. A force is a push or pull.

To overcome the drag, the airplane’s engines need to provide more force, burning more fuel. Changing the shape of the airplane makes it more aerodynamic and reduces the amount of fossil fuel burned, which is better for the natural world.

Brainstorm, design, and Build • Start by designing a paper airplane that will fit over a spoon.

• Brainstorm what kind of wing and body design would make a spoon airplane go as fast as possible.

• Use one full sheet of paper only to build your airplane.

Forces on an Airplane

Force of drag pushes

airplane back

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TEST anD EVALUATE• Test your spoon airplane on the zipline and time how fast it goes.

• Use the stopwatch to time and record the flight from the top to the bottom of the zipline.

• Do a second flight to check the time.

• Note: It ruins the test if you push your airplane down the zipline. Let go gently!

REDESIGN• Make changes to your airplane to create an improved version with

less drag. Or, start from scratch by taking another piece of paper to make a new plane.

• Think about the shape of the airplane and any parts that might push against the air as it travels.

• Then test it. That is how engineers and inventors make their designs better—by testing to find out what is working and what is not.

• Which airplane design on this page has less drag? Why?

• Can you think of another vehicle whose shape creates a lot of drag?

CONTinUEDFLIGHT TEST

Seconds

Test 1

Test 2

After Redesign

Test 3

AIRPLanETest TIMES

Problem-Solving Tips

• Is timing off? Be careful not to push the airplane down the zipline. Let go of it gently.

• Rough flights? Check the tension of your zipline thread.

• Too slow? Make sure both paper clips are holding onto the zipline. Check to see whether anything on the plane is touching the zipline.

ENGinEERinG anD inVENTION in ACTION Drag wastes fuel for cars too. By getting rid of drag, students at Duke University built Maxwell, the world’s most fuel-efficient car. Maxwell gets 14,573 miles per gallon (0.01614 liters per 100 kilometers). That means you could drive to the movies, then take the long way home around the entire earth! One reason Maxwell uses so little fuel is its sleek, one-piece body. The vehicle has less than half the drag of cars on the road now.

Major funding is from the Lemelson Foundation. Project funding is provided by United Engineering Foundation (UEF), the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), and the UL Innovative Education Award.

DESIGN SQUAD GLOBAL is produced by WGBH Boston

MAJOR FUNDING PROJECT FUNDING

Major Funding is provided by the National Science Foundation. Project funding is provided by The Lemelson Foundation.

The DESIGN SQUAD GLOBAL material is based on work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DRL: 1422236. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.

TM/© 2015 WGBH Educational Foundation






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TM/© 2019 WGBH Educational Foundation. All rights reserved.

FOR SMALL GROUPSOR A LARGE EVENTMATERIALSFor preparing the room before the session:

■ thread that is smooth—20 feet (6 meters) long (Note: rough cotton or sisal string does not allow the airplanes to slide. Surprisingly, nylon fishing line slows them as well.)

■ 1 metal spoon per participant (The smaller, teaspoon size, works best. Spoons should not be too heavy.)

■ 2 paper clips per participant (The larger-sized paper clips work best.)

Per participant:

■ 3–5 sheets of letter size—8½ x 11 inches (20 x 28 centimeters)—paper per participant, or similarly sized scrap paper, to make the airplanes

■ masking tape or clear tape (can be shared)

■ scissors (can be shared)

For testing (enough to share between several teams/participants):

■ stopwatch, clock, or timing app on a phone

■ pencil and paper for recording times

In this activity, kids think about:

• the concept of drag — the force of wind resistance pushing on an object

• the idea that too much drag leads to wasted fuel in airplane design

• addressing the problem of drag through thoughtful design

1. PREPARE AHeaD OF TIME • Read these leader notes and the challenge sheet.

• Try the activity yourself so you will know what to expect and where kids may need help.

• Set up a zipline in the event space that measures 10–20 feet (3–6 meters) long.

pbskids.org/designsquad For more great activities:

THE CHALLENGEDesign an airplane,

using paper and a spoon,

that reduces drag and

flies fast!

FLIGHT TESTLeadeRNOTES

–Find a space in the room that is large enough. A corner or wall works well because it prevents kids from running behind the zipline.

–Attach the higher end of the zipline to a chair, post, or other tall, solid object. (This end needs to be about 2–3 feet/60–90 centimeters higher than the lower end to allow the airplanes to slide down.)

http://pbskids.org/designsquad

–Attach the lower end to a heavy movable object, such as a stack of books, chair, or stool.

–Move one end of the zipline slowly backward to increase the tension on the thread until it is straight.

–Optional step, for safety: Add a second thread near your zipline and use tape to hang the poster, Flight Test (see last page). The sign helps everyone see the zipline and not accidentally run into it.

• Prepare the spoons and paper clips.–Bend 2 paper clips into an S shape, so that they work as hangers for

each spoon.–Put one paper clip near the eating end of each spoon and another

near the handle end, and make sure that the hooks are facing the same way. Use the smaller ends to hook around the spoon. Tape the clips into place.

–Make sure to tape the paper clips in the same place on each spoon so that the weighting is equal.

small end of the paper clip

small end of the paper clip

• Test: Hang the spoon on the zipline and let it travel all the way down. Does it slide smoothly?

– If not, the paper clips may need to be bent further so that they hang at right angles to the thread.

–The thread may be so loose that it sags. Tighten it by moving one end of the zipline farther back.

–As a guideline: A spoon should take about 3 seconds to travel down a 10-foot (3-meter) line and 5 seconds down a 20-foot (6-meter) line.

2. inTRODUCE THE CHALLENGE• Pass out the challenge sheets, describe the challenge (listed above), and

ask participants: What makes airplanes fly?

–Listen to participants’ responses and add any factors they miss: engines, wings, air, fuel.

–Some kids may also know the concept of lift, a force that holds an airplane in the air. This activity does not address lift, but instead has kids learn about the forces that push an airplane forward and back.

• Explain one problem with airplanes: The size and shape of some airplanes make them use a lot of fuel to fly. By changing the design to reduce drag, we don’t need to burn more fossil fuel, which is better for the natural world.

LeadeR NOTES


3. Lead a demonstration (optional)• Demonstrate and test a “spoon airplane” with lots of air resistance (drag):

–Attach a flat sheet of paper to one of the spoons. It is best if the wide side of the paper faces down the zip line (see photo). That way you get maximum drag.

–Time the airplane as it goes down the zipline and announce the result.

• Ask: Do you think the spoon airplane went fast? Why or why not?

• Listen to ideas kids share. Add the following if not mentioned: –The shape of the paper creates air resistance or drag on the spoon

airplane.

–Drag is the force of the air pushing against an object.– If you have ridden your bike or run against the wind on a very windy day,

you probably felt a push. That was drag.

–Ask kids: When airplanes fly, what pushes against the wings and body to slow them down? (The force of drag.)

4. Brainstorm, design, and Build • Give kids the spoons and sheets of paper.

• Tell kids to make the materials into airplanes:–Your challenge is to build a paper airplane that moves through the air fast.

–You are going to test your airplane on the zipline and time how fast it goes from start to finish.

–Your design should look like an airplane with wings and a body.

–To build your airplane, use one full sheet of paper only.

–You cannot attach anything else to make your airplane heavier.

Force of engines pull

airplane forward

Forces on an Airplane

Force of drag pushes

airplane back

LeadeR NOTES


5. TEST • Ask kids to do the test flights on the zipline. You or they can time the

flights with the stopwatch and record their times using the chart on the challenge sheet. (Optional: You can also record times below.) Tell them:

–Testing is how engineers and inventors make their designs better—by testing to find out what is working and not working.

–Both paper clips need to hook on the zipline.

–Let go gently. (It ruins the test if kids push their airplanes down the thread.)

6. EVALUATE & REDESIGN • Ask why one spoon airplane worked better than another:

–Did your spoon airplane go faster than the spoon with the flat piece of paper? Why? (The one with the flat paper had a lot of drag.)

–Which club member’s spoon airplane went the fastest? What about its shape made it go the fastest?

• Suggest ways to redesign the spoon airplanes:–Take another piece of paper and create an airplane with less drag.

–Think about the shape of the airplane and any parts that might push against the air as it goes down the zipline.

• Retest!

Check OUt the fuLL design Squad Global inVEnting GrEEn Club GuideLooking for more activities for your classroom or afterschool program? This Flight Test activity is one of 6 new activities in the Inventing Green Club Guide, found here: bit.ly/green_activities

Major funding is from the Lemelson Foundation. Project funding is provided by United Engineering Foundation (UEF), the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), and the UL Innovative Education Award.











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STUDENT HANDOUT FUNDERBLOCK

LEADER NOTES HANDOUT FUNDERBLOCK

Design Squad Global is produced by WGBH Boston.

TM/© 2019 WGBH Educational Foundation. All rights reserved.

LeadeR NOTES


Child’s First Name

Test 1Time

After Redesign Time

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flight test challenge sheet - pbs kids...• tell kids to make the materials into airplanes: –...

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